Are you in the dark about fitting outdoor lighting in your garden?
Make the most of your garden by providing some well-placed illumination for after dark
Outdoor lighting used to its proper and full effect can enhance a garden and extend its life beyond dusk and well into night. The success and usefulness of outdoor lighting depends on what sort of lamps you use and how they are positioned.
There are six main types of outdoor lighting and which ones you opt for and how you distribute them will greatly affect the 'usability' of your garden at night.
Streetlighting
This is outdoor lighting mounted on columns which would typically be placed along a drive. The idea is to give full illumination of the road at night and, therefore, the best way to do this is to place the lights on alternating sides of the drive. This is not a do-it-yourself job as the cables which feed the columns will need to run inside ducts laid in trenches along the drive. There will also be drive crossings for which the ducts will need to be surrounded with concrete and junction boxes where one duct splits perpendicularly away from the main line. There is a wide range of streetlighting available - from the modern concrete and sodium lights to 'Victorian' multi-headed streetlamp style.
Floodlighting
The function of this form of outdoor lighting is to provide intense low-angled illumination back towards the house. Floodlights are normally halogen and are very bright. As a result, they can become a nuisance - make sure that they don't point at neighboring properties. Also, a halogen light will get very hot so, although it is set on the ground, try to keep it out of the reach of animals and young children.
Overhead lighting
This type of outdoor lighting is what will give the bulk of the illumination. The overhead lights would typically be installed on a terrace or porch - anywhere where there is a ceiling over. This would normally be 40 to 100 watt bulbs providing a practical source of light.
Suspended lighting
These are lights which are hung from hooks or poles as required. They provide a form of spotlight and use 40 watt (or less) bulbs to generate a soft outdoor lighting. Because they are mounted outdoors, these lamps will be inside cases to keep out the rain.
Accent lighting
This is where outdoor lighting gets decorative although it can have a practical use. Usually colored lights are planted at ground level to pick out details. This might be some shrubs, a seat, a path - anything that you wish to highlight.
Submerged lighting
Submerged lighting is the same as accent lighting except that the lights are mounted in a water feature. Such lighting can provide illumination for a fountain or allow fish to be watched as they swim around in your garden pond.
Good luck installing your outdoor lighting.
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